It was just two days since Wei WuXian was back at his home from Cloud Recesses. Xie Lian and San Lang could very clearly see that their son really did miss Cloud Recesses, maybe not the rules but the people.
"San Lang. Maybe because of what we did, they won't let A-Xian visit?"
"Then let's ask them to let him visit."
Wei WuXian was away on a night hunt with his A-Zi Ge so Xie Lian and San Lang had decided to visit the Cloud Recesses and clear up this mess so that their son can visit that place again.
Sitting opposite the Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen was more awkward than they had previously thought. Xie Lian apologized for their rash actions all the while San Lang refused to even look at the people sitting opposite them. In the end he too apologized after getting a shove from Xie Lian. San Lang thought ' For A-Xian ' .
When the tea was over Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen said their goodbye to the pair. Before leaving Xie Lian said the words they wanted to say from the beginning.
"I hope this will not prevent A-Xian from visiting Cloud Recesses in the future. He miss this place very much."
"Wei-Gongzi will be welcome in Cloud Recesses. We will be happy to welcome him here. "
Lan Xichen said and Lan Qiren agreed with a nod. Xie Lian smiled at them and turned to leave. San Lang gently squeezed his hand and said.
"Gege, I have a few more things to say to them. "
"Ok. Then I'll just walk around for a while."
Xie Lian said smiling at his husband. The hand holding his wrist did not move away so he looked at his husband to see him smiling back at him. San Lang said.
"I won't take long."
Xie Lian nodded and turned to leave. He could feel San Lang's gaze on him. He could not help but smile knowing his husband's reluctance in leaving him out of sight. San Lang called.
"Gege."
"Uh?
Xie Lian turned to look at him once more. Through the corner of his eyes he saw the two Lans watching them interact. Lan Xichen had a gentle smile while Lan Qiren looked very furious at their actions. San Lang waved his hand and a sliver butterfly flew towards Xie Lian.
"San Lang, you said you won't take long."
Xie Lian laughed, the sound echoing in the silence of Hanshi. The silver butterfly flew around his face and peppered kisses on his cheeks and nose. Finally it settled down on his right shoulder occasionally giving kiss to his cheek.
San Lang had started this habit of leaving at least one wraith butterfly with his Gege whenever he was away so that his Gege won't be lonely. San Lang smiled and replied with a polite nod.
"I won't."
Xie Lian gave a bow to both embarrassed Lans and walked to the outside. San Lang watched as Xie Lian disappeared around the corner. He slowly faced the two people waiting for him.
"Would you like to sit down?"
Lan Xichen asked with his usual practiced calmness. San Lang shook his head once rejecting the offer. He had not said a word to Lan Qiren other than 'I apologize' that Xie Lian had made him say. The thought that this man had not apologized to his son for hurting him was flooding his mind.
"I have to clarify something.
I came here to apologize only."
San Lang paused looking away from Lan Xichen to Lan Qiren who stood quietly beside his nephew. Lan Qiren looked back at the tall man in red robes with his usual level of irritation he gives to Wei WuXian. San Lang said each word as cold as ice.
"For. My. Son."
Lan Xichen looked at his uncle and then at the Ghost King. He would never be able to stop a fight if it were to happen, he thought belatedly. He gulped seeing the cold expression on the man's face.
"You hurt my child, can't I stop you?"
San Lang asked Lan Qiren. He was still standing near the door while the other two were still across the room. He did not trust himself in holding back if he were to start talking about the way they hurt his son. Lan Qiren looked the Ghost king in the eye and said.
"It was not intentional."
"We are so sorry for what happened."
Lan Xichen said quickly not wanting to invite more trouble. Clearly the fault was theirs but he did not understand why his uncle refusee to apologize for his mistakes. Lan Xichen looked at the man standing there with his hands crossed in front of his chest.
San Lang nodded to Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen tried to smile back but he was not sure how much longer he could fake this level of calmness. ' Wangji, where are you Didi? '
"A-Xian will say that everything was a misunderstanding. He forgets easily and forgives people unconditionally.
And then you the Lans with all your rules said something and hurt my son. Again."
San Lang continued just like he was reciting a speech. He was on the edge, the second he came to know from Feng Xin and Mu Qing that these Lans made A-Xian cry. Without knowing San Lang's inner thoughts Lan Qiren said.
"That was not intentional either."
"You made my son cry. I am not good at forgiving like my Gege or A-Xian."
San Lang said each word more dangerous than the other.
'That is a threat. A clear threat.' Lan Xichen's mind was bussing. He really felt like he should have lied that their uncle was not in Cloud Recesses when he saw the couple walking in. This time they came through the main gate, waiting there and only entering after getting permission from Lan Qiren.
"We looked at the Wall of Rules while coming here because apparently everybody inside Cloud Recesses was supposed to follow those rules? "
Lan Xichen had a doubt that the only reason they came through the make gate was to take a look at those rules. He was sure what was going to happen next. Lan Qiren answered San Lang's question still with the power of being the elder in the room.
"Yes"
"Do not succumb to rage?
Do not bully the weak?
Do not disrespect the younger? "
San Lang said, each sentence changed just a little bit to make it feel like he is asking Lan Qiren a question. Suddenly Lan Qiren realised he was not the elder in the room. He was always used to being the eldest in the room. Nobody questioned his actions ever in Cloud Recesses or in the entire Cultivation world after he took over the duties of Sect Leader.
"Do not make assumptions about others.
Your rules are very interesting."
San Lang said with a very calm voice. His voice barely audible in the room. Lan Xichen felt goosebumps rising hearing all the rules his uncle broke that day. Not just that day, his uncle used to break rules almost everyday since Wei WuXian appeared but nobody called him out. Lan Xichen felt really sad in being right in guessing this was what Crimson Rain Sought Flower will be saying.
"Do you want me to go on Lan Qiren? Do you want me to read all three thousand rules and pick out the ones you broke?"
San Lang asked the distressed Lans. Lan Qiren looked at the opposite wall refusing to meet the other man's eye. He Ghost king had listed four rules for him, and us now asking whether he should continue to list the rest. Lan Qiren's mind which knows all the rules like the back of his hand was now supplying all the other rules he broke in the correct order.
"Do not insult people.
Do not act impulsively.
Be careful with your words.
Be respectful and humble.
Don't be unreasonable.
Do not take advantage of your position to oppress others.
Uphold the value of Justice."
Lan Qiren looked at the man in front of him with wide eyes. Those were the rules which were spinning through his mind right now. He felt the need to go into some immediate self reflection right this instant but apparently the man was not finished.
"I'll let you finish on your own time.
Be just.
Be fair."
San Lang's eye focused on Lan Qiren whi was now looking down. His voice lowered a little more as he asked the question.
"We're you Lan Qiren?
Just?"
"I have made a mistake."
Lan Qiren said looking up at The Ghost king. San Lang laughed, the cold laughter made both the Lans fear for what will come next. San Lang asked looking in the direction of the Wall of Rules.
"I can't understand why you treat children like this. Are you educating them like this or disciplining them?"
Lan Xichen had no answer for that. He remembered his brother telling him about Wei WuXian asking about the reason behind rules. He never thought about it before why there were so many rules and why they were made to follow even the children in Cloud Recesses.
"Be kind. Be gentle. Those are your rules. "
San Lang said once again when met with silence. Lan Qiren looked at the Ghost king, who was telling him to be kind and gentle. He was now more distressed in thinking that he not only broke many rules but he forgot to follow the rules made by Lan An himself.
Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen kept silent. They watched as the Ghost king turned around and walked outside the door. He paused in his steps reminding Lan Xichen just how similar Wei WuXian was to his father.
"This is for Wangji."
A silver butterfly flew towards the two Lans. Lan Xichen raised his head from the butterfly to look up only to see that the man was no longer there. He walked to the butterfly for only it to fly away from him. He saw his uncle sitting down in his seat and gulping down tea. He was now breaking a rule but Lan Xichen cannot say that.
Both of them sat there in silence. Lan Xichen had called for his brother as soon as he saw who the visitors were hoping Lan Wangji will be able to communicate with them more easily. But Lan Wangji was in the middle of the lectures delivered by a strict Lan elder so Lan Xichen was still waiting for his brother for some comfort.
"Shufu, Xiongzhang."
Lan Wangji greeted as soon as he rushed into Hanshi. The expression on the disciple who came to look for him was di unsightly that Lan Wangji was certain that something was wrong. He confirmed this when he saw how distressed his brother and uncle looked. Lan Xichen jumped up from his seat in delight seeing his brother. Lan Qiren did not react to the presence of his younger nephew, still lost in thoughts.
"Ah, Wangji it's good that you're here."
"A wraith butterfly?"
Lan Wangji muttered as he saw the silver light and was instantly taken back to sight of Wei WuXian flooded with silver glow surrounded by these little beings. He was trying his best to adapt back to his life before Wei WuXian and was failing miserably. He caught himself thinking of Wei WuXian everytime he was left alone. He was having a very difficult time looking at Buddhist scriptures without thinking of indecent thoughts.
"Wei-Gongzi's parents came for a visit."
Lan Xichen said to his brother while trying his best to smile for his brother and uncle. He held Lan Wangji by his shoulder for his own support not believing his own legs to support his weight. Lan Wangji pointed his chin towards the corner where the butterfly was flying in a silent question.
"Crimson Rain Sought Flower left it for you. I tried going near it, but it kept on flying away. "
Lan Wangji walked to the the silver light. Lan Qiren looked at his nephew for sometime before realising that he was going to touch it. He stood up and shouted.
"Wangji, don't touch that thing. You don't know those-"
Lan Qiren stopped mid sentence seeing the butterfly flying happily towards Lan Wangji. It flew a few circlee around him and landed in the outstretched finger. Lan Wangji turned to his uncle and said calmly.
"Shufu, they really are not dangerous."
Lan Qiren did not look convinced at all. Lan Wangji looked at the little butterfly perched in his finger fluttering it's wings. He felt his fingers tingle for a moment and then the room echoed with the sound of the person he was missing so much these last two days.
"I didn't lie to you, right? Doesn't it taste good? "
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
What will be Lan Wangji's private communication array password?
What will be Wei WuXian's?